You may or may not know thatThe Comyenti Series,from which ‘Quarterling’ is a part of being a spin-off novel, is a fantasy series that as a whole is really close to my heart. It always has been, more so than all my other books. Being a huge animal lover, vegan, and empath myself writing about an alien humanoid species, who are all mind-speaking empaths, and have all these amazing animal abilities, but with their own weaknesses comes almost natural to me. That probably shouldn’t come as a surprise for those that know me. Especially since most of my life I have almost felt like an alien on this world myself! Being sensitive to noise, bright lights, strong smells, fainting in crowds, wanting different things in life than others my age, reading different books, being vegan, and lesbian! I am also quite a private person, so I guess not many people know much about me at all, hence why I started this newsletter in the first place.

But, I digress. All of the main characters certainly feel like different parts of me I wanted to explore. Especially Sula Comyenti who started it all in book 1: ‘Call Off the Search’ which was originally called ‘Small Sacrifice’, and who has been with me from the start shaping the story and series with me, always insisted in getting heard. For a writer it is almost impossible not to listen to those voices in your head! They won’t leave you alone until you write their stories down. No, you are not insane, you are a writer. That is our excuse, at least.
Still, I just love writing every book that is either part of the series or a spin-off story such as Quarterlingis, so I really don’t mind. Besides, Sula is always great company.It became clear to me though that after writing the first two books the characters had much more to say and to do before I started writing book three. I knew I just couldn’t fit it all in without losing the main thread of the book and for the readers to lose the plot. These characters, once an adult, deserved each their own story, their own novel. And that is what I am doing. That is the plan at least. Sula has five children so they all get their own book, some even more than one. There are three so far and a fourth is in the making!

There is ‘Chained Freedom’ (Free download here: https://www.amazon.com/Chained-Freedom-Comyenti-Natasja-Hellenthal-ebook/dp/B00IK4OWXE/ )in which Fay had a brief appearance, but she was only really a side-character like in book 1 and 2, not a main one. So she kept insisting on telling her own story! Her voice grew stronger and louder. I had already told Aigle’s story in ‘City of Dreams’, or at least one of his stories, and I felt it was time for Sula’s first born Fay to really tell hers.

Beside it being a coming of age story and one of unrequited love, and just about being young leaving home for the first time, I have been toying with the idea of writing some of my own experiences down. The things I have witnessed whilst living in Norway, Wales, and the South of France especially have always stayed with me. The animal cruelty and accidents whilst I was out hiking mostly. I wanted to share these experiences with my readers and what better way than through a story? They say, write what you know, and that is what I have always done. I have changed the facts around slightly as in my case I was mostly too late, but not always. Once I did save a nearly drowned sheep from a freezing, roaring river, and one bird out of a football net, but found another sheep dead with her head stuck in a fence and other sheep washed ashore. These images never left me. The rat I saved two years ago still lives with me as I couldn’t find a surrogate mother. Fay reminds me slightly of myself when I was seventeen. Full of big ideas, hopes and dreams, and that life isn’t always how we plan it to be. Love isn’t either. It can come in various forms and may not be what we imagined it to be.
Fay started to tell me her story from the time she left home. It was easy to let her live some of my own experiences and see what she would have done, with or without her super powers. And how I would wish I had those powers often! But then again, she is restricted in some ways. How? Well, you will just have to read the story.

Speaking of superpowers though, especially a female superhero, saving animals, not people this time, was needed, desperately I felt. I have researched but only found one or two other books with a vegan superhero, but they were all for children… Why, I wonder are animals always associated with children or children’s stories? Don’t adults love animals? Do we outgrow them and their cuteness? Don’t we want to read about their happy ending? Adults love their pets, but often can’t extend it to other animals. Most don’t want to think about the suffering, the exploited animals, at least not enough to want to save them. Vegans do. Luckily. Thus a story was born. Fay was going to be a superhero for the animals with an older audience, okay young adults more precisely as she herself is only seventeen when the story starts, but still, it’s a start. I do hope to reach a broad audience with Fay’s story. That is why there are many more subjects thrown in: coming of age, parents, adventure, romance and a touch of magic.

Well, I won’t ramble on too much as this should just be a little post about what made me want to write ‘Quarterling’. Whilst writing I did try to have an audience in mind. I can imagine other vegans want a hero they can relate to or look up to, so it is for them to have a story to feel at home in without too much violence or visual content. But is still is a story about animal activism and what we can all do, or can’t and about hoping to change people, but how? And if we can, should we and to what ends? There are many questions of a deeper nature. Of right and wrong, of grey areas, and that even if we have certain powers there are even more powerful forces at work we cannot always control, and we find ourselves powerless. It’s a story of wanting to save the world, of change both in and outside of us, of being different and finding our way in the world, of acceptance, of having responsibilities and what it means to be an adult. And I also hope to reach those hearts that haven’t quite made compassionate choices yet. For those who say they love animals. Who knows what changes they will make? One can always hope.

Read more about my inspiration and need for wanting to write this story in the Afterword in ‘Quarterling’, now ready for pre-order here:

Excerpt

‘Fay, there is no need to lie to me, you know. I have observed you and seen what you can do. You are clearly not from Bhan. If you were, your kind would have surely taken over from the humans.’
‘Why would you say that and what exactly have you see me doing? Wait, it’s from around the time of the market day I have sensed your presence, isn’t it? What did you see me do?’
‘Enough to know that you act as if these animals are your responsibility, but they are not.’
Fay’s eyes widened and she was numb for a moment as if shocked to hear that. ‘Then whose? If it wasn’t for me they would all still be suffering or dead by now!’
‘It’s not for you to decide, to interfere.’
‘What? So, you’re saying that if you see an injustice done to another soul, or an injured creature, you walk away from it? What if it had been members of your own kind caged in that market?’
‘We’ve never been captured,’ Zemandu answered calmly, unaffected.
‘Perhaps you should be so you know what it’s like.’
‘And you do?’
‘Even if I didn’t I would still care. It’s called having a heart. Besides, all of us carry the painful memories of our ancestors in us. It’s enough for us to feel empathy for other species, because we were treated not too dissimilarly. My kind were trapped, not for food, but as curiosities, and when humans couldn’t get what they wanted from us, killed. We were seen as a threat and menace to humanity, not allowed to live side by side with them like you are.’
‘You can fly, you are immensely strong, you can make fires like I can, and you can communicate with all these anima—’ ‘Argh,’ Fay grunted. She had seen all that? How had she let this happen?
‘No need to be shy or worried. I won’t tell anybody. There is always one dominant species on any planet. What, you didn’t think this was the only habitable planet in the entire universe, did you?’

Fionnuala and her brothers lead a magical, carefree life in the emerald Tuatha kingdom of Lir in ancient Ireland. But when their mother dies in childbirth their world is turned upside down.
Left heartbroken, King Lir locks himself up in his bedchamber, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Fionnuala, old enough to leave and marry, takes it upon herself to care for her younger brothers. But then little Conn falls ill.

When Aoife with her dark crimson hair, the bluest eyes, and uplifting spirit arrives to heal him, they all fall for her; Fionnuala the most. Yet, somehow it is her father Aoife chooses to marry…
Feeling betrayed and hurt the princess has great trouble accepting this, but she doesn’t know the truth of the real reason why Aoife agreed on marrying the king. Will the two women find a way to be together, or is a jealous king going to stop them?

Suspenseful, romantic and seeped in Irish myth and magic, ‘The Cursed’ captures a dramatic adult lesbian-fairytale twist on ‘Lir’s Children’ and the power of love, hope and patience.

Synopsis: It’s time for change! In a country with a cursed justice system, two women; the mysterious Queen Artride and her loyal bodyguard Tirsa, set out on a secretive perilous quest.

They hope to find the sorceress, who might just be the only person powerful enough to be able to lift the terrible curse from their land and its people, but she lives somewhere deep within Dochas; the strange Magical Land.

Time is against Artride and Tirsa as they only have three weeks to save Tirsa’s teenage brother’s life, sentenced to hanging for a petty crime.

The women are soon drawn to each other, but can their love ever be?Struggles and questions arise as things get increasingly more difficult: Can they trust one another and the magical creatures they meet who seem to have their own problems?

And more so; will the evil sorceress actually be willing to help them and if so… for what price?

Enter the world that is ‘The Queen’s Curse’ and cling to Artride and Tirsa to experience a mind-blowing, heart gripping psychological drama where nothing is certain.

My name is Natasja, author, thinker and soul-searcher. Welcome to my blog!

I’m not a follower of conventional idea’s and ideologies; I rather make up my own mind. I love raising questions and try to stay true to my self and use nature and life as my great inspiration for my stories rather than what is common or trendy.

To turn inward to one self regularly is key here; in complete solitude and withdrawal from the world to understand our true self, and surprisingly to find that connection with the real world, not what we perceive outwardly, but inwardly. That’s where dreams come from, the same world where stories are born.

From the crib to the grave we get influenced and formed by what we see and what we experience, so much input, so much noise that it’s not easy to stay unbiased. I think we should always grow and use whatever we can and whenever we can, but always try to come home to ourselves and ask ourselves the question: ‘What does this add to make it a better world?’

I love beauty, poetry, music and art above technology and rushed modern day life. I think we need more of that to be and stay civilised and in touch with ourselves and each other.

I tend to observe people and am fascinated why we do the things we do and the human condition in general and how we as a society shape and form our children who become adults and in turn run society in future generations. How people can get brainwashed by religion, dogma’s and traditions. How abuse in any form can have its impact on the individual; their mind and their soul.

I’m also quite passionate when it comes to the environment, sustainable living and animal welfare, the way we treat our children and those who are less fortunate in life. I’m a very sensitive independent soul and abhor any form of violence and injustice. I believe that kindness and respect goes a long way and we are here to share this planet and give something back, not just take. I believe the world is what we create and that all that is born deserves a chance to live and that it is not up to us, humans, to use and abuse ‘lower beings’ just because in the bible it says we can and people justify cruelty because a bunch of people have written something in a 2000 year old book. Surely it is time for change?

Not everyone can help everybody, but everybody can help someone. Start by being selflessly, that is a good way to start.

The fact that everyone is doing something doesn’t make it right. Never stop questioning, even though you seem to be the only one that does in a world full of sheep. With your heart to guide you, you’re never wrong.

All these elements I use in my writing.

Especially the losing of ones freedom in many ways; it was a curse in my debut novel, ‘The Queen’s Curse’ that prevented the main characters from living their lives in freedom. Queen Artride, although the ruler of her country, had no real power or influence because of the curse on the law-book (which of course is a reference to the bible and our own old unchanged ridiculous justice and penalisation system) which made it impossible for her to have any real impact or make any positive changes to a old fashioned harsh law system. It became even personal as she had no real freedom. Literally is she travelled too far on her own removed from the castle and its law book, she would be tormented by excruciating stomach pains.

Of course someone needed to stand up against injustice, so hence Tirsa Lathabris came in to remind the queen. Tirsa remains her rock and conscience throughout their quest for the sorceress whereas Artride is everything that is good and reminds a hot-headed but nature and animal loving Tirsa of a non-violence way of dealing with the world and its people.

Together as a team they fight off evil and overcome the curse in what is said to be an original way.

‘Call Off The Search’, my second novel (book 1 of the Comyenti Series), is the story of a strong woman who might be the last of her kind, the comyentis. Whose family and kind has been hunted and killed by humans and who doesn’t really belong anywhere. As a halfling and nomad she always finds herself in between two worlds.

When she falls in love with the human twins, Felix and Feline (not at the same time!) her sworn enemy, the struggles only get worse as they remind her of her humanity. Also more questions arise regarding her own species when she finally does find the other last survivor, Shazar. And he is not exactly what she thought a comyenti to be.

Also here again the lack of personal freedom as Sula made her mother a promise to continue the bloodline. She has to have children in order for her species to survive and to continue the search. She knows this is the right thing to do, but who ever asked her?

It’s a psychological soul searching story of finding ones true identity and sexuality and acceptance who and what you are in an unforgiving harsh world full of prejudice.

Well, I will be blogging regularly from now on with not only updates about my own books but als about the books, interests and people that have inspired me personally and continue to do so.

Call Off The Search, which is the first book of the Last Of The Comyenti Series, will be released in August/early September at the latest.

I’ll be doing a blog tour for COTS around the book’s release date, watch this space! And I’ll also be doing some pre-release promotions here on my blog in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for more information.

For now, enjoy the cover and get exited by reading the blurb for Call Off The Search.

Blurb:

Set against the backdrop of Bhan, a barbaric uncivilised world, this is the story of

the Comyenti’s; an ancient species of Mindlinkers, beautiful, sentient and empathetic beings that possess abilities of animals. They are nearly at their end due to hunting.

During the search for more like her, Sula, part Comyenti and part Human, meets an attractive farmer and faces the first of many heart wrenching decisions she must make.

Will Sula be able to keep her promise to Felix and forsake her own heart? Or will she forsake the part of her that makes her so unique?